Air fryer zucchini fries
by These Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are crispy on the outside with a garlicky, cheesy inside. They’re super easy to make, packed with flavor, and most importantly, perfectly crispy!
I love pairing them with my homemade garlic aioli for dipping. If you love crispy fries without all the carbs, these zucchini fries make a great healthy snack with minimal prep time.
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Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these crispy, flavorful breaded zucchini fries. With just a handful of ingredients, the fries turn out crispy outside and garlicky inside.
- Zucchini: The main ingredient of the dish! Select ones with similar sizes for even cooking.
- Egg: Helps the coating stick to the zucchini for a crispy texture.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Enhances the flavor and adds a bit of seasoning to both the zucchini and the coating.
- Gluten-Free Flour: Acts as the first coating layer, helping the egg and almond flour adhere.
- Substitute: Rice Flour for a lighter texture.
- Substitute: Whey Protein Isolate (low carb) for a low-carb option.
- Almond Flour: Adds a nutty flavor and helps create a crispy, gluten-free coating.
- Substitute: Panko or Rice Panko for extra crunch.
- Garlic Powder: Provides a punch of savory garlic flavor that compliments the coating.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty, savory note and helps achieve a crispy texture.
- Avocado or olive oil spray: Ensures even crisping in the air fryer without adding too much oil.
For the garlic aioli:
- Kewpie Mayonnaise: The creamy base for the aioli, with a slightly sweeter, richer flavor than regular mayo.
- Garlic: Adds a strong, fresh garlic flavor to the aioli.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Adds brightness and a bit of acidity to balance the richness of the mayo.
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Garlic Powder: Adds an extra layer of garlic flavor to the aioli.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds smoothness and a slight fruity flavor to the aioli.
How to make zucchini fries in air fryer
These zucchini fries are super easy to make, and they turn out crispy and delicious. Below, you’ll find my simplified steps and air frying time:
- To make the garlic aioli: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Cut the zucchini into sticks: Slice each zucchini in half crosswise, then quarter each piece lengthwise to create long spear shapes. Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove moisture.
- Set up the coatings: Whisk eggs with salt and pepper in one bowl. In another, place the flour. In a third, mix almond flour, salt, garlic powder, and parmesan.
- Coat the zucchini: Dip each stick in flour, then egg, and finally the almond flour mixture. Make sure each stick is fully coated on all sides.
- Air fry the zucchini at 400°F: Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil. Place zucchini sticks in a single layer, leaving space between them. Spray the tops with more oil for even crisping. Air fry at 400°F (204 °C) for 8 to 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes).
- Keep them crispy: Place fries on a cooling rack while you cook the next batch to prevent sogginess.
- Serve immediately with garlic aioli for the crispiest results.
Oven method tip
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the zucchini fries in the oven! Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and place the fries on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through for even crispiness.
What goes well with air fried zucchini
These zucchini fries in the air fryer pair perfectly with a variety of tasty dishes. Here are some great options to complete your meal:
- Crispy side pairings: Pair them with other crunchy favorites like Air fryer corn ribs, Air fried oyster mushrooms, or Air fryer zucchini and squash for a full veggie platter.
- Different dipping sauce: Switch up the flavor by trying different dipping sauces like Whole30 ranch dressing, Bacon aioli, or Honey sriracha sauce to keep things interesting.
- Make a full meal: For a complete meal, serve these fries alongside heartier dishes like Bang bang salmon bites or Miso sweet potato for a satisfying combo!
Also see our Air fryer cheat sheet for more side pairing options.
Tips for extra crispy zucchini fries
- Slice the zucchini into equal-sized sticks to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
- Pat the zucchini dry before coating to remove excess moisture. This helps them crisp up in the air fryer.
- Coat evenly: Make sure each zucchini stick is fully coated in the flour, egg, and almond flour mixture for the best crunch.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer: Place the zucchini sticks in a single layer with space between them for proper air circulation. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Spray with oil generously: Ensure each zucchini stick is well-sprayed with avocado oil for even browning and crisping.
- After cooking, place the zucchini on a cooling rack to avoid sogginess and retain moisture.
- Check the fries at 8 minutes: At 400°F (204 °C), air fryers vary, so keep an eye on them to prevent overcooking or burning.
Storing leftovers and reheating
- Storage: Keep the zucchini fries and garlic aioli separate. The fries will stay fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container, while the garlic aioli can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.
- Reheating: To reheat the fries, pop them back in the air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes to regain their crispy texture.
More zucchini recipes you might like
If you love zucchini as much as I do, you’ll want to try these other tasty zucchini recipes!
- Korean Zucchini Side Dish: A refreshing and cooling side dish that pairs well with almost any main meal.
- Kimchi Chicken with Zucchini Noodles: A quick, flavorful stir-fry dish that’s packed with tangy kimchi and tender chicken.
- Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp: A light yet satisfying dish with juicy shrimp and spiralized zucchini noodles.
- Zucchini Carrot Fritters: Crispy, savory fritters made with zucchini and carrot—perfect as a snack or side dish.
Air fryer zucchini fries recipe
Air fryer zucchini fries with crispy zucchini sticks dipped in parmesan and serve with garlic aioli sauce. Simple ingredients & with low carb option!
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Ingredients
For the zucchini fries:
- 2 medium zucchini , 8 oz each
- 1 large egg
- pinch salt and black pepper
- 6-8 tbsp (gluten-free) flour, rice flour, or whey protein isolate (low carb)
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 8 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- Avocado oil spray
For the garlic aioli:
- 1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise, or mayo
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
To make the garlic aioli:
- In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To make the zucchini fries:
- Slice the zucchini into fries by cutting it in half crosswise, then quarter each piece lengthwise so you have a long French fries shape. Pat them dry with a clean paper towel.
- Whisk the eggs with a touch of salt and pepper in one bowl; set the flour (or whey protein isolate) in a second bowl; combine the almond flour, salt, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese in a third bowl.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C).
- Dip the zucchini in flour, dust off the excess, then dredge in eggs, then the almond flour parmesan cheese bowl. Make sure each zucchini stick is coated well on all sides. Rest it over a large sheet pan or plate as you work through the batch.
- Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil then carefully place the zucchini into the air fryer basket with some space between them. Spray with more oil on top. Make sure each piece is sprayed with oil so they crisp up evenly. Air fry at 400°F (204°C) for 8 to 10 minutes. (check after 8 mins.)
- Rest the zucchini fries over a cooling rack so that they won’t turn soggy as you wait for the second batch to be ready. Repeat the process until you finish the whole batch.
- Serve the fries right away with garlic aioli so that they will be the most crispy.
Notes
- Flour substitute: you can also use all purpose flour if you re not sensitive to gluten.
- Oven method: bake in the oven with a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425°F (218°C)for 20 minutes.
- Almond flour substitute: Use panko or rice panko.
- Technique for dipping the fries with less mess: I used a pair of chopsticks to handle the wet ingredients – whisked eggs – so I can keep my hands dry for dipping in the flour and the coating.
- Make the garlic aioli first as it needs time for the flavor to come together and be chilled in the fridge.
- Storage: Pack the sauce and the zucchini fries separately. The fries stay fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The garlic aioli stays fresh for one week in the refrigerator.
- To reheat the leftover fries, air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 378mg, Potassium: 368mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 406IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 210mg, Iron: 3mg
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Made a dish and loved it? Please remember to rate the recipe and leave a comment in the section below! It helps my blog grow organically, allowing me to continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
Perfect way to cook that zucchini we have so much of right now! These were a hit, very delicious!
Thank you! So happy to hear!
Hello Chihyu, we need to be dairy free and also low carb due to type 1 diabetes. Have you ever heard of replacing way protein isolate with egg white powder or have you ever tried it? if it’s not going to be crispy then we don’t want to go that route but we can’t think of another substitution that’s not high carb. We LOVE your recipes. Thank you!
Hey Holly, I don’t know about egg white powder so I can’t really tell you about it. Sorry about that. If I see it next time, I’ll grab a bag and give it a try. 🙂
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m trying it today. I’ll try to remember to let you know.
I ended up using hemp protein powder. I was concerned I would be able to taste it but I couldn’t at all. It turned out SUPER! Thanks Chihyu
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing as I’m sure it’ll help others, too! Appreciate it again!
We made these zucchini fries in the new air fryer I got for my mom this past weekend and everyone loved the fries! So crispy and with lovely cheesy taste. They are easy to make, too! This is a wonderful alternative to traditional potato fries. Lighter and healthier. Thank you!
These zucchini fries are so DELICIOUS! They are a little crisp outside and full of cheesy and garlicky flavor. We devoured them with a sprinkle of pink salt. Next time, we will try with the garlic aioli sauce. This is a great dish for the upcoming zucchini season.
I made these last night! So so easy and yummy! I also loved how they cooked up so fast. My husband liked them too! They came out crispy and flavorful! We dipped ours in marinara! I like having different ideas to make veggies! Thank you for these air fryer recipe’s! I’ll be making these again for sure!
Yum! Love the marinara choice!
I have a bunch of zucchini at home and this recipe comes at the perfect timing! I dipped the zucchini with tapioca starch because that’s what I have and then the eggs and the almond flour/Parmesan coating and they turned out DELICIOUS! We devoured them very quickly Will be making it again!
Perfect!